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Wyclef to appeal Haiti electoral rejection

Jean will appeal his rejection as a candidate in Haiti's presidential election.

Sebastian Pirlet: Reuters

Musician Wyclef Jean plans to appeal his rejection as a candidate in Haiti's November presidential election, his spokeswoman has said.

Haiti's provisional electoral council, the CEP, ruled on Friday night (local time) that the singer-songwriter did not meet the requirement that presidential candidates maintain five consecutive years of residency in Haiti prior to running.

Jean told his spokeswoman, Marian Salzman, that he would appeal the ruling, Ms Salzman said.

Jean also posted a message via Twitter saying, "Tomorrow our lawyers are appealing the decision of the CEP. We have met all the requirements set by the laws. And the law must be respected".

Jean left Haiti with his family to live in New York at the age of nine and launched his music career in the United States.

He had presented evidence that his lawyers said showed a "constant presence" in Haiti, which is struggling to recover from January's devastating earthquake.

He was among 34 presidential candidates vying for a spot in the election to choose a successor to president Rene Preval, who cannot run again after two terms.